If you want to go to Poly with either a business, engineering, or architecture degree it's going to be SUPER competitive.

I agree with s2kfrog, near campus the amount of vandalism is high. You can try to find a place with a garage, or you can live like 5 miles away from campus. There are a ton of nice cars in the student apartments by campus and supposedly they got broken into all the time.

If you happen to get into CP, check out www.ccmw.cc it's the local car forum. Good luck.

 

It is NOT quiet and farm like at all.... I guess that depends where you live, some of the neighboring towns are like that. One thing I love about SLO is that it is very quiet during the week, most students are very dedicated (unlike places like UCSB) .... Thurs, Friday, and Saturday nights it gets pretty wild here with downtown/house parties. (Thursday is the new friday in this town BTW). Downtown there is about 20 different bars to choose from, each with a slightly different scene so you can kind of pick what you like. Oh and every house in San Luis Obispo will have a beer pong table, I have never been to a party without haha.

I always forget the names of the frats but one has a pretty sick mud wrestling event every fall and spring you will have to check it out. There are some very dirty girls going all out, I go every year haha... I was told by my friends in that frat that Chuck Liddel was supposed to host the last event but he couldn't make it. (You will run into Chuck Liddel all the time if you live out here)

One thing I have noticed is that SLO isn't a town were people hang out over school breaks, if you are ever around on holidays or summer it is a ghost town for the most part.

Yeah, for your interest stick to the engineering department, so computer engineering would probably be your best bet. It is actually more difficult to get into this school then you would think. Most need about a 3.9 or 4.0 GPA to get into Cal Poly out of high school.... I have a buddy that had a 4.04 GPA but only got a 1200 SAT and he was border line accepted. They denied him for FALL but they said they would let him in if he went to summer school first. The easiest way to get in would be to go to a junior college first, I got a 3.6GPA from a JC and I was also border line accepted and had to go to summer school first too lol (we were both business majors not sure how much other departments vary).... If your a minority it is a bit easier to get in since this school is 95% white.

Advice for parking.....
Do not park on the street near frat houses or party areas over night. Try not to live in too big of a apartment complex. Basically, park away from areas that drunk people roam. If you live in a small complex and park in its lot or live about 1 mile away from school you should be ok. Again crime is very low, and you only have to worry about vandalism on weekend nights in highly drunken areas.

 

Honestly man I hate to burst your bubble but.... Personally, I would not buy an s2000 while going to any college. Most students drive cheap cars and just don't care so you have to watch out for door digs in parking lots + the drunk people on weekends. Really it is not going to be much different in any college town. Word of advice, drive something cheap until you graduate college. Not to mention, you will be so busy in school it is hard to work enough to pay for gas/maintainace/insurance/plus car payments if any. My parents wouldn't give me a dime for my car or anything car related but they were willing to let me burrow money to get bye. In the end, I rang up $8k in debt worth in car bills. Believe me, if you want to do well in college it will turn into a 30-40 hour a week thing, sometimes more and not including clubs, activities or work hours. Also moving out is expensive.... My parents paid for all school related bills + some living expenses. I still ended up spending a hell of a lot more money living away. Keep in mind those free meals your parents used to cook are gone.

 

Just a quick update. Same thing I posted on the bay area forum. So I went with my dad to the Fremont automall yesterday. We didn't have that much time so I only got to test drive 2 cars - '06 Scion TC and '06 Civic SI coupe. They didn't have an s2k.

First was the Civic SI at AutoWest Honda. I've been in the newer civics before (my friend's civic lx) so the interior wasn't anything new. The shift knob was removed since they said thieves often take it, so I had to drive it without it. I haven't driven a manual since about a half a year ago on my friend's prelude so I did stutter the car a bit and scare my dad and the salesman when leaving the parking lot

I only drove it for about 5 minutes on the streets. For some reason I thought all this time it only had the older k20a3 160hp engine in it. I didn't even know it had 6 gears so I was in 5th gear the whole time. (Like I said the knob was removed). I drove it as I would normally and didn't even enter VTEC, but it definitely felt smooth and fast. Then again, I drive a '93 corolla. Still, compared to my dad's '03 Acura TL, I found it more enjoying to drive.

Anyways, I liked the shifter even though the knob wasn't on. I could tell it was a very short throw and together with the clutch felt much nicer than I thought it would be. I also liked the 2 level dash and steering wheel. I didn't get to inspect anything else like the stereo, but this is definitely a car I'd consider if I could find one for a bargain.

Next was the Scion TC at the dealership across the street. I didn't want to test drive a new one, so I went for the oldest one they had. It was an '06 with a lot of TRD mods (The overpriced ones you opt for when customizing your Scion).

On to the test drive. First, I noticed the shifter which reminded me of my friend's 95 accord. The clutch released at a higher point than the SI, and the long throw shifter made it feel less sporty than it looked. I actually stalled at the first red light (I still have a tendency to release the clutch too quickly) and here's the ironic part: There was a yellow s2000 right behind me. I didn't even know at first since my mirrors weren't adjusted, but as I took my time restarting the car, he whipped right past me leaving me embarassed as hell.

Anyways the drive was similar to the SI, but I didn't find it engaging enough. Again, I didn't get to take it on the freeway, and I found it to be on par with what I was expecting. When we got back, the salesman asked my dad if he wanted to try it. Now my dad has not driven stick for about 15 years, so I was surprised he said "Sure why not?"Driving out of the dealership, he definitely still remembered how to drive stick. At that moment, he realized why I want a manual as he pushed the car much harder than I did.

I had a few minutes to check out the features like the radio and sunroof, but they were actually lower than my expectations. I definitely liked the civic's interior more. After the drive, we lowered the back seats and for the first time, I saw how much room I had. I think I know why you guys suggest against getting the s2000.

On the way home, we saw a Fit and an RSX, cars I wanted to test drive but were not available. (Since you guys keep telling me I need a daily driver for college, I told my dad about the fit, which he was not familiar with) When I pointed it out to him on the freeway, he laughed a bit and said "You wanna get that?"

Thoughts: Anyways, I've thought about my choices a bit more and still have a lot of other cars to look at like the mazda 3 and RSX. I'm kinda stuck in this little dilemma though. I hate compromises between pure utility (like the honda fit) and pure sports car (like the s2000). Sure a 2 door hatchback is a good compromise, but it will never satisfy both roles.

Here's where you college students or recent graduates can help me. I don't even know if a 4 door hatch like the Fit will fit all my stuff when coming back home for summer and then going back for the fall. Let's say I go to a college in a city 3 hours away from where I live. Consider how much space is needed for all my personal belongings like a 32" flat screen lcd tv (might not need it?), PC, monitor? Those are just some of the bigger things. I'm sure you guys know what you bring back and forth right? The whole reason to get a utility car is so I can move everything by myself and not have to borrow my uncle's pick-up twice a year. If I can't fit everything in a single car, then what good is it instead of getting something like the s2000?

HELP ME!

 

I didn't get to live on campus or take my car to frat parties so I never had to worry about vandalism. I live on the outskirts of SLO so not that many party people.

On the parking lots though, I've actually noticed a lot of the higher end cars. Most people there seem to respect other peoples property. But there's jerks and pricks in every school so you might run into a couple.

I never joined ccmw.cc but some people from there have joined my team's forums. I did get a card for slomosports.com though.

 

I think if you get an S2000 you might want to invest in a hardtop.

Anyways there are many choices but since you'll be in college you should be more focus on your studies. I would recommend a car that would be reliable, cheap, and minimal maintenance or work.

The cheap cars like Scion, RSX, and Prelude(5spd) could work. They're more common now and cheap to buy used. You can probably pick up a good condition used Scion or RSX-S for around 10k+ and a Prelude for under $9k.

All have enough room to lug some crap around and a fold down rear seats. You won't have to worry about it getting keyyed or damaged. Cheap car and cheap to fix.

I am a previous owner of two Honda Preludes. I drove a 97 shit-tronic in freshman & sophomore year of college and a 98 manual junior and senior year. I got both cars for cheap and never really had to worry about them. I paid the car off in full and still had money for insurance and modifications + other things *going out, computer parts*

Preludes are heavy compare to the rest but I don't race so it was a good match for me. The car only has 200hp to a 3100+lb weight. The car looks great with the OEM lip kit. I had several people ask if it was a new car even though they stop making them long time ago. If you even consider this option I recommend a 2001 model.

Anyways the 2005-2006 RSX-S would be an okay looking car with good performance if you plan to modify it, the scion ...ummm I don't know, it does not look good and performance are still on the low side. Even after modification the Scion will not look or perform any better. Handling was below average when I had an hard test drive around a track and interior was not that great to me. These cars you can afford in full and not worry about it if they get dinged...similar to a beater car.

A new Civic Si would be nice for college and when you graduate you can sell it and get the car you wanted and by then you'll want something else....maybe M3 or Mercedes SL, etc...

 

^ Out of college and desiring an M3 or Merc SL? Sure. Is he going to be able to afford it...HELL no. Unless he's going to be living with parents I don't see it happening.

I had a Prelude as well when I went to college and it was a decent car, but in my opinion hugely impractical. The car is big but the interior is really small, smaller than an RSX and the trunk space is small for the size of the car. But I also had a 12'' sub in there.

I think a used RSX-S would be a real good choice, or even a Civic EP hatch. I haven't driven a new Civic Si but I hear real good things about it. You should have taken it into VTEC, you may have been real surprised.

In my opinion you shouldn't have to worry about the utility of a car when trying to decide what to get. You aren't going to be able to lug around everything in one car anyway. And why would you buy a car just to lug stuff around just twice a year?

Not to give you more options to debate over, but keep in mind you could always get a used S2k for around $15k. I would NOT get a brand new car to bring to college because of the possible vandalism. It totally breaks your heart if you see even a small scratch on a brand new car.

 

Yeah I'm lookin at used RSX type S, but they seem to be around the same price range as '02-'03 s2ks. As for the preludes, I might as well be get an s2000 because like hansai said, the trunks are small and you can't really fit anything in there. And I was never planning on buying a brand new car (well maybe the fit), but especially not a brand new s2000. My absolute max budget is $15k so any more suggestions would be appreciated.

 

I hope you aren't this indecisive when you pick a college.

 

Sure reads and sounds like one

Go test drive all the cars you want, then buy the one you like best and don't crash it.